Disposal of mildewed leaves

Need to know the best time to plant?

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Primrose
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Silly question but can I dispose of my badly mildewed courgette leaves on my compost heap?
Will the mildew spores remain in the compost as everything rots down and eventually get returned to the soil and make next year,s reinfection more likely?
Or should I just play safe and put the affected leaves in my green recycling bin?
Monika
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Primrose, the mildew spores will be around everywhere in any case and if they wish to strike and the conditions are right for them, they will. I shouldn't think that you putting the mildewed leaves into the compost will make any difference. I certainly have been doing so all my gardening years.
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Diane
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All my mildewed leaves go onto the compost heap too.
'Preserve wildlife - pickle a rat'
Colin2016
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I believe if your compost heap gets hot then any damage plant can be put there.
sally wright
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Dear Primrose,
the mildew you can see on the surface of the leaves is the fruiting bodies (that is the part which produces the spores) so it is really closing the door after the horse has bolted to get rid of them off site as the spores will already be floating around the garden.

That said there are several mildew resistant varieties of courgette (and butternut squash) out there so it may be worth your while seeking those out for next year. I usually couple a parthenocarpic (self pollinating) variety of courgette for my early sowing and a mildew resistant kind for the later one. Seek and ye shall find; for there is no sense in growing something that will not yield because of a problem that you know about.

Regards Sally Wright.
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